Boone Street Market Producer Rules

Boone Street Market

Vendor Rules

2017

Please read this information carefully for details about the operation and expectations of Boone Street Market.

Rules are revised each year

Boone Street Market is as a not-for-profit local food hub, providing a retail sales outlet for local producers, a commercial kitchen for value added production, and educational opportunities for growers and consumers of local food.

Vendor Requirements

·        Vendors must grow or produce all items they offer for sale—no reselling is allowed. Our customers count on this, and we take it very seriously!  

·        We require a farm/facility visit before you may sell at the store. This is to learn about your growing practices and to verify the origin of your products.

·        We require compliance with all federal and local food safety regulations from beginning to end

o       Check out the USDA’s Food Safety page for complete information:

 http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=FOOD_SAFETY

o       And the TDA’s regulatory info for farmers market vendors:

http://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/agriculture/attachments/AgFarFMRules.pdf

·        We require complete and current information about any special production standards (USDA organic, AWA, kitchen permits, etc).

·        The store has its own liability insurance coverage; additional individual coverage is not required by highly recommended.

·        We require full ingredient disclosure and accurate labeling. 

Our Sales System

·        All items are identified by producer and farm so the customer’s experience is as close as possible to that of buying at the Farmers Market.

·        Producers sell on consignment—product is property of the producer until it is sold.

·        Producers set their own price for their products in consultation with the market coordinator. 

·        The fees to sell are

1)  an application fee of $25, payable once the product has been provisionally accepted and before the farm visit  

2)  mambership fee of $5 per month, deducted from sales  

3) 20% of sales

·        Payment for sales will be once per month, on or before the last day of each month via bill pay (bank-issued check mailed to your address). Check looks like this:

·        Each pay period, you will receive access to a spreadsheet showing sales for the month.  This report will refresh each pay period, so if you want to have access to this information for the future, please save a copy for your records.

·        Producers whose products require sales tax should include that in the price of their item.  Filing any sales tax is your responsibility, just like at the farmers market.

·        While our focus is farm-direct sales, we also carry wholesale items at the manager’s discretion.  For these products, we pay the wholesale price and process the sales tax. 

Quality Expectations:

·        Consistent high quality, consistent delivery helps us sell your product.

·        Customer satisfaction is critical to the success of our store! The manager may use discretion in turning away items that are not up to store standard. The manager is authorized to handle customer returns and exchanges, and producers must replace or refund items accordingly.  You will be informed of any food safety complications, returns or other complaints, as well as positive feedback!

Responsibilities of the Vendor:

-         Provide labels that meet the county, state, and federal regulations.

-         Product is delivered properly labeled, including barcodes 

-         Timing of deliveries should be arranged in advance with the market coordinator

-         Arrange a plan with the coordinator for perishable items. What to do with aging or damaged items will be arranged between each seller and the manager (date for mark down, use in kitchen, donated to food bank, composted)     

Pricing:

Our consignment system is an 80/20 split.  (80% to the vendor, 20% to the store to cover operating expenses).  To set your price:

1.  Determine the price you want to receive. 

2. Divide that by .8. 

Example: you want to receive $1 per pound for your tomatoes. Divide $1.00 by .8 which is $1.25. Price your tomatoes at $1.25 per pound.  You will receive $1.00 per pound and the market will receive 25 cents per pound. 

Barcodes:

Enable accurate sales reporting and ensure that each farmer is paid correctly for his/her product.  Each vendor will:
1.  Discuss with the manager the set-up of your barcodes.
2.  The manager will provide a word file with your barcode templates.
3. You choose:  

• print and apply your own stickers (on blank sticker sheets we provide). 
• incorporate barcodes into your own labels
• purchase sheets of pre-printed stickers may be purchased for $1 (80 stickers per sheet) 
• BSM staff can handle all barcoding of your products for a fee of $1 per product per month, deducted from sales.

4.  If you add new products, please notify the manager in advance so that the barcodes can be ready for your delivery.  Product cannot be sold until it is properly labeled. 

Producer Marketing Expectations:

·        We work hard to promote the many different items at Boone Street market, but the more promotion, the better!

·         Professional product labels, packaging, recipes and photos with information about your operation will help get your product noticed.

·        We expect growers to use their social media channels and/or Boone Street Market’s facebook page to let their customers know that product is in the store.

·        We will invite suppliers to participate in one or more “meet the public” events where you offer samples and information about your product.  If you are interested in this, let us know!

·        Promotional offers?  If you want to discount an item or create a special promotion, let us know!

·        Remember:  Vendor fees and sales fees cover only portion of our operating expenses.  To keep fees low, we rely on volunteers and fundraisers.  If you are interested in volunteering, please talk to our market coordinator!

Product Selection:  Product selection is up to the coordinator’s discretion. If at any time the market becomes too crowded (peak season months: June-September) the market coordinator may assign in market priority to vendors based on the criteria listed below.

Our Considerations When Choosing Local Products for our Store:

If your product is different and interesting, we want to give it a shot! However, we cannot sell a dozen types of strawberry preserves, so we must use a selection process.  Factors we consider are:

·        Where is the item produced? (must be in a 100 mile radius of Jonesborough)

·        How long you been a vendor with the market?

·        Is there a similar product already in the store?

·        How much of the product is original to the producer? 

·        How is the taste, packaging, pricing compared to other similar products?

If the coordinator believes that the number of products that are similar becomes excessive, duplicates may be denied. Our product needs will change as the market gets established, and with the season, so don’t hesitate to contact us with new product ideas.  

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OK!  You made it thru all of our info!  

Here's the application:

JLG Producer Application 2017

For questions or to submit your vendor application, please contact:

Ashley Cavender and Erin Giebner

Market Coordinators

423-753-4722

boonestmarket@gmail.com